Electrical connector with alignment pins and retaining pins

Abstract

The present invention provides a press-fit connector in which one or more of the retaining pins also function as alignment members. [Solution] An electrical connector assembly 10 having a housing 12, a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of ground contacts. The housing 12 has a mounting surface 22 configured to face a circuit board 24. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the rest of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and the plurality of ground compliant portions. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions cooperate with one or more enlarged vias of the circuit board 24 to align the connector assembly 10 with the circuit board 24.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to alignment pins and retention pins. In particular, the present invention relates to a press-fit connector attached to a circuit board, wherein one or more retention pins of the press-fit connector facilitate alignment of the press-fit connector on the circuit board.

Background Art

[0002] Backplane systems such as network systems, servers, and data centers include a backplane circuit board to which electrical connectors are attached. The electrical connectors can include a high-density array of signal contacts and ground contacts. The signal contacts and ground contacts each have a respective contact tail disposed along the mounting surface of the electrical connector. The contact tails are configured to be inserted into vias such as plated-through holes (PTHs) of the circuit board. The contact tails can be relatively thin and thus are susceptible to damage. For example, if the contact tails and the vias are misaligned when the electrical connector is attached to the circuit board, the contact tails may press against the outer surface of the circuit board. In such a case, moving the electrical connector along the circuit board to accurately position the contact tails can cause the contact tails to bend or otherwise be damaged.

[0003] To properly align the contact tails with the plated through-holes, the connector is often pre-aligned to the backplane using alignment mechanisms such as guide posts or alignment pins. These alignment mechanisms help prevent contact collisions when the connector is positioned on the backplane. When moving the connector to electrically engage with the backplane, known alignment mechanisms must position it at designated openings in the backplane. However, when positioning high-speed / high-density press-fit connectors on a circuit board, the dense spatial paths of the traces on the printed circuit board and the required high-density plated through-holes severely limit the space on the circuit board for adding alignment mechanisms. The openings required for the alignment mechanism would obstruct the path of the high-speed traces. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide press-fit connectors in which one or more of the retaining pins also function as alignment members. In particular, in high-speed / high-density press-fit connectors, it would be beneficial if one or more of the retaining pins, such as pinhole (EON) pins, included an alignment mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This solution is provided by an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of ground contacts. The housing has a mounting surface configured to face a circuit board. The signal contacts are provided on the housing and have signal contact circuit board mounting portions including signal contact compliant portions. The ground contacts are provided on the housing and have ground contact circuit board mounting portions including ground contact compliant portions. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the remainder of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and plurality of ground compliant portions. One or more of the signal contact compliant sections or the ground compliant sections work in cooperation with one or more enlarged vias on the circuit board to align the connector assembly to the circuit board.

[0006] Next, the present invention will be described as an example with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a circuit board, showing one exemplary embodiment of the press-fit connector of the present invention mounted on the circuit board, and a second press-fit connector of the present invention before mating to the circuit board. [Figure 2] This is a bottom perspective view of one of the press-fit connectors shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged view of region 3 in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 in Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a top view of the circuit board. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a side view of a first exemplary embodiment of a strip of contacts removed from the housing of a press-fit connector. [Figure 8]This is a side view of a second exemplary embodiment of a contact strip. [Figure 9] This is a side view of a third exemplary embodiment of a contact strip. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming part thereof schematically illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the above general description and the following detailed description, help illustrate the principles of the present invention.

[0009] The following provides an overview of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This overview is not intended to be a broad summary, nor is it intended to identify or define the main or important aspects or elements of the present invention.

[0010] The purpose is to prevent damage to the retaining pins due to misalignment when inserting the press-fit connector into the circuit board.

[0011] The objective is to have one or more of the retaining pins of the press-fit connector help align the press-fit connector to the circuit board, thereby eliminating the need for a separate alignment mechanism.

[0012] The embodiment relates to an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of ground contacts. The housing has a mounting surface configured to face a circuit board. The signal contacts are provided on the housing and have signal contact circuit board mounting portions including signal contact compliant portions. The ground contacts are provided on the housing and have ground contact circuit board mounting portions including ground contact compliant portions. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the rest of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and the plurality of ground compliant portions. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions cooperate with one or more enlarged vias of the circuit board to align the connector assembly to the circuit board.

[0013] The embodiment relates to an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of ground contacts. The housing has a mounting surface configured to face a circuit board. The signal contacts are provided on the housing and have signal contact circuit board mounting portions including signal contact introductions. The ground contacts are provided on the housing and have ground contact circuit board mounting portions including ground contact introductions. One or more of the plurality of signal contact introductions or the plurality of ground introductions extend from the mounting surface of the housing further than the remainder of the plurality of signal contact introductions and the plurality of ground introductions extend from the mounting surface. One or more of the multiple signal entry points or multiple ground entry points engage with the surface of the circuit board to provide tactile guidance to the user when the electrical connector is misaligned relative to the circuit board.

[0014] The embodiment relates to an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of ground contacts. The housing has a mounting surface configured to face a circuit board. The signal contacts are provided on the housing and have a signal contact circuit board mounting portion including a signal contact compliant portion and a signal contact introduction portion. The ground contacts are provided on the housing and have a ground contact circuit board mounting portion including a ground contact compliant portion and a ground contact introduction portion. One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the rest of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and the plurality of ground compliant portions. One or more of the multiple signal contact introductions or multiple ground introductions extend further from the mounting surface of the housing than the remaining signal contact introductions and ground introductions extend from the mounting surface. One or more of the multiple signal contact compliant parts or multiple ground compliant parts work with one or more enlarged vias on the circuit board to align the connector assembly with the circuit board. One or more of the multiple signal introductions or multiple ground introductions engage with the surface of the circuit board to provide tactile guidance to the user if the electrical connector is misaligned with the circuit board.

[0015] Figure 1 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary electrical connector assembly 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical connector assembly 10 is a press-fit or crimp-fit ​​connector, but other configurations may be used. The electrical connector assembly 10 includes a connector housing 12 and an array of electrical contacts 14, 16 coupled to the connector housing 12. The electrical contacts 14, 16 include signal contacts 14 configured to transmit data signals through them and ground contacts 16 configured to shield the signal contacts 14 from electromagnetic interference (EMI) during operation. The electrical connector assembly 10 is configured to mate with another mating electrical connector (not shown).

[0016] The connector housing 12 has a mating surface 20 configured to mate with a mating connector and a mounting surface 22 configured to face a circuit board 24 (shown in FIG. 1). The circuit board 24 may be, for example, a motherboard or a daughter card. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating surface 20 and the mounting surface 22 face in opposite directions. However, in other embodiments, the electrical connector assembly 10 may have a right-angle configuration in which the mating surface 20 and the mounting surface 22 face in a direction perpendicular to each other.

[0017] In various exemplary embodiments, the signal contacts 14 are configured for differential signal communication. For example, the signal contacts 14 can be arranged in pairs, and each pair is surrounded by a corresponding ground contact 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical connector assembly 10 is a vertical header connector. The mating connector may be a receptacle connector configured to mate with the header connector. The mating connector may be oriented vertically or, alternatively, may have a right-angle configuration.

[0018] The electrical connector assemblies and circuit boards described herein can be used in a variety of applications. By way of mere example, embodiments can be used in telecommunications and computer applications, routers, servers, supercomputers, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. The circuit board assembly may be a backplane (or midplane) assembly or a daughter card assembly configured to engage with the backplane assembly. For example, the signal lines of the electrical connector may be capable of transmitting data signals at high speeds such as 10 gigabits per second (Gb / s), 20 Gb / s, 30 Gb / s, or more. In more particular embodiments, the signal lines may be capable of transmitting data signals at 40 Gb / s, 50 Gb / s, or more. In some applications, the electrical connector can include a high-density two-dimensional array of signal contacts. The high-density array can be, for example, 100 mm 2It can have at least 12 signal contacts per unit area. In a more specific embodiment, the high-density array is 100 mm 2 It can have at least 20 signal contacts per unit area.

[0019] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, each of the signal contacts 14 has a receiving portion 30, a fixing portion 32, and a circuit board mounting portion 34. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the circuit board mounting portion 34 has a compliant portion 36 such as, but not limited to, a via hole portion. A contact tail or lead-in portion 38 extends from the compliant portion 36 to the free end or distal end 39 of the signal contact 14. Since other embodiments of the signal contact can be used, the configuration of the signal contact 14 is exemplary.

[0020] The receiving portion 30 of the signal contact 14 is configured to engage a corresponding mating electrical signal contact (not shown) of a mating connector (not shown). The fixing portion 32 cooperates with the connector housing 12 to hold the signal contact 14 in the housing 12. The compliant portion 36 and the lead-in portion 38 of the circuit board mounting portion 34 are configured to be inserted into a via 60 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) such as, but not limited to, a plated through hole (PTH) of the circuit board 24. The lead-in portion 38 protrudes from the compliant portion 36 and is configured to introduce the circuit board mounting portion 34 into the via 60 of the circuit board 24. The compliant portion 36 mechanically and electrically engages the conductive material of the via 60.

[0021] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, each of the grounding contacts 16 has a receiving portion 40, a fixing portion 42, and a circuit board mounting portion 44. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the circuit board mounting portion 44 has, but is not limited, a press-fit portion such as a pinhole portion or a compliant portion 46. A contact tail or introduction portion 48 extends from the compliant portion 46 to the free end or distal end 49 of the grounding contact 16. The configuration of the grounding contacts 16 is exemplary, as other embodiments of the grounding contacts may be used. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the grounding contacts are formed on strips, including the fixing portion 42 of each strip.

[0022] The receiving portion 40 of the grounding contact 16 is configured to engage with the corresponding mating electrical grounding contact (not shown) of the mating connector (not shown). The fixing portion 42 cooperates with the connector housing 12 to hold the grounding contact 16 in the housing 12. The compliant portion 46 and introduction portion 48 of the circuit board mounting portion 44 are configured to be inserted into vias 62 (shown in Figures 1 and 2), such as plated through-holes (PTHs), of the circuit board 24, but not limited to these. The introduction portion 48 protrudes from the compliant portion 46 and is configured to introduce the circuit board mounting portion 44 into the vias 62 of the circuit board 24. The compliant portion 46 mechanically and electrically engages with the conductive material of the vias 62.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7-9, the sizes of the compliant portions 46 and introduction portions 48 may vary among the individual ground contacts 16. For example, in Figure 7, the ground contact 16A has larger press-fit or compliant portions 46A provided at both ends of the ground strip. In this exemplary embodiment, the press-fit or compliant portions 46A have a width W1 greater than the width W2 of the compliant portions 46 of the remaining ground contacts 16. The introduction portion 48A has a length L1 longer than the length L2 of the introduction portions 48 of the remaining ground contacts 16, and its distal end 49A is further separated from the mating mounting surface 22 of the housing 12 than the distal ends 49 of the remaining ground contacts 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contacts 14.

[0024] In other embodiments, the press-fit portion or compliant portion 46A has the same width as the compliant portion 46 of the remaining ground contact 16. However, the introduction portion 48A has a length L1 that is longer than the length L2 of the introduction portion 48 of the remaining ground contact 16, and the distal end 49A is further separated from the mating mounting surface 22 of the housing 12 than the distal end 49 of the remaining ground contact 16 and the distal end 39 of the signal contact 14.

[0025] In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 8, the ground contact 16B has a larger press-fit or compliant portion 46B located in the center of the ground strip. In this exemplary embodiment, the press-fit or compliant portion 46B has a width W3 greater than the width W2 of the compliant portion 46 of the rest of the ground contact 16. The introduction portion 48B has a length L3 longer than the length L2 of the introduction portion 48 of the rest of the ground contact 16, and its distal end 49B is further separated from the mating mounting surface 22 of the housing 12 than the distal end 49 of the rest of the ground contact 16 and the distal end 39 of the signal contact 14.

[0026] In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 8, the ground contact 16C has a larger press-fit or compliant portion 46C provided at one end of the ground strip. In this exemplary embodiment, the press-fit or compliant portion 46C has a width W4 greater than the width W2 of the compliant portion 46 of the remaining ground contact 16. The introduction portion 48C has a length L4 longer than the length L2 of the introduction portion 48 of the remaining ground contact 16, and its distal end 49C is further separated from the mating mounting surface 22 of the housing 12 than the distal end 49 of the remaining ground contact 16 and the distal end 39 of the signal contact 14.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the circuit board 24 has vias or plated through-holes 60 for receiving the circuit board mounting portion 34 of the signal contact 14 and vias or plated through-holes 62 for receiving the circuit board mounting portion 44 of the ground contact 16. The size of the vias 62 may vary between individual vias 62. In this exemplary embodiment, via 62A has a diameter D1 that is larger than the diameter D2 of the remaining vias 62. Via 62A is configured to receive the compliant portion 46A, 46B, or 46C of the ground contact 16A, 16B, or 16C.

[0028] When the electrical connector assembly 10 is mounted on the circuit board 24, the circuit board mounting portion 34 of the signal contact 14 may not be properly aligned with the via 60 on the circuit board 24, and the circuit board mounting portion 44 of the ground contact 16 may not be properly aligned with the via 62 on the circuit board 24. The distal ends 49A, 49B, or 49C are further away from the mating mounting surface 22 of the housing 12 than the distal ends 49 of the remaining ground contact 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contact 14, so the distal ends 49A, 49B, or 49C engage with the surface of the circuit board 24 before the distal ends 49 of the remaining ground contact 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contact 14. When this is done, the resistance and / or friction between the distal ends 49A, 49B, or 49C of the ground contacts 16A, 16B, or 16C and the surface of the circuit board 24 can provide the user with tactile indication that the electrical connector 10 is misaligned relative to the circuit board 24. The user can then move the electrical connector 10 laterally along the surface of the circuit board 24 until the distal ends 49A, 49B, or 49C are accepted into the corresponding vias 62A, 62B, or 62C. When this is done, the distal ends 49 of the other ground contacts 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contacts 14 are separated from the surface of the circuit board 24 and thus protected from damage. In this embodiment, the distal ends 49 of the other ground contact 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contact 14 engage with vias 62, 60 only after the ground contact 16A, 16B, or 16C has entered vias 62A, 62B, or 62C after being sufficiently aligned with them. When the distal ends 49A, 49B, or 49C of the ground contact 16A, 16B, or 16C enter the corresponding vias 62A, 62B, or 62C, the distal ends 49 of the other ground contact 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contact 14 should be substantially aligned with the corresponding vias 62, 60, thereby preventing damage to the distal ends 49 of the other ground contact 16 and the distal ends 39 of the signal contact 14 due to misalignment with vias 62, 60.

[0029] Since only the compliant portions 46A, 46B, or 46C of the ground contacts 16A, 16B, or 16C can be inserted into the enlarged via 62A, the compliant portions 46A, 46B, or 46C of the ground contacts 16A, 16B, or 16C function as a keying mechanism to ensure that the connector assembly 10 is properly positioned on the circuit board 24.

[0030] The exemplary embodiments illustrated and described herein have an enlarged compliant portion and an enlarged introduction portion provided on the selected ground contact, but the enlarged compliant portion and enlarged introduction portion may be provided on the selected signal contact, or on both the selected ground contact and the selected signal contact. Using an enlarged compliant portion on the selected contact facilitates the alignment of the connector assembly 10 on the circuit board 24, particularly in applications requiring high-density arrays. The path of the traces 64 on the circuit board 24 severely limits the space available for adding alignment pins or other mechanisms to the connector assembly 10. This is because the corresponding holes in the circuit board 24 required to accommodate these mechanisms obstruct the path of the high-speed traces 64. Therefore, by using a larger compliant portion and a longer lead portion in the selected contacts, proper alignment is provided without requiring additional vias on the circuit board, thereby preventing damage to all contacts due to misalignment.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, A housing having a mounting surface configured to face the circuit board, The housing comprises a plurality of signal contacts, each of which has a signal contact circuit board mounting portion including a signal contact compliant portion. A plurality of grounding contacts provided in the housing, wherein each grounding contact has a grounding contact circuit board mounting portion including a grounding contact compliant portion, and Equipped with, One or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the rest of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and the plurality of ground compliant portions. An electrical connector assembly in which one or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions cooperate with one or more enlarged vias of the circuit board to align the connector assembly with the circuit board.

2. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the signal contact has a signal contact introduction portion, and the signal contact introduction portion extends from the signal contact compliant portion in a direction away from the mounting surface of the housing.

3. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the grounding contact has a grounding contact introduction portion, and the grounding contact introduction portion extends from the grounding contact compliant portion in a direction away from the mounting surface of the housing.

4. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of signal contact introductions or the plurality of ground introductions extend further from the mounting surface of the housing than the rest of the plurality of signal contact introductions and the plurality of ground introductions extend from the mounting surface.

5. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the signal contact has a receiving portion configured to engage with a mating contact and a fixing portion for holding the signal contact in the housing.

6. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the grounding contact has a receiving portion configured to engage with a mating contact and a fixing portion for holding the grounding contact in the housing.

7. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the signal contact compliant portion and the ground contact compliant portion have a pinhole configuration.

8. An electrical connector assembly, A housing having a mounting surface configured to face the circuit board, The housing comprises a plurality of signal contacts, each of which has a signal contact circuit board mounting portion including a signal contact introduction portion. A plurality of grounding contacts provided in the housing, wherein each grounding contact has a grounding contact circuit board mounting portion including a grounding contact introduction portion, and Equipped with, One or more of the plurality of signal contact introductions or the plurality of ground introductions extend further from the mounting surface of the housing than the rest of the plurality of signal contact introductions and the plurality of ground introductions extend from the mounting surface. An electrical connector assembly in which one or more of the plurality of signal introduction units or the plurality of ground introduction units engage with the surface of the circuit board to provide tactile guidance to the user when the electrical connector is misaligned relative to the circuit board.

9. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 8, wherein the signal contact has a signal contact compliant portion provided between the mounting surface of the housing and the signal contact introduction portion.

10. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 9, wherein the grounding contact has a grounding contact compliant portion provided between the mounting surface of the housing and the grounding contact introduction portion.

11. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 10, wherein the signal contact compliant portion and the ground contact compliant portion have a pinhole configuration.

12. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions have a width greater than the rest of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions and the plurality of ground compliant portions, and the one or more of the plurality of signal contact compliant portions or the plurality of ground compliant portions cooperate with one or more enlarged vias of the circuit board to align the connector assembly with the circuit board.

13. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein the signal contact has a receiving portion configured to engage with a mating contact and a fixing portion for holding the signal contact in the housing.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein the grounding contact has a receiving portion configured to engage with a mating contact and a fixing portion for holding the grounding contact in the housing.

Images